Deadline docketing
Every date per matter with reminders at the intervals you choose, plus a firm-wide calendar and per-attorney views.
Patent attorney software: deadlines, renewals & instructions
Patent attorneys: never miss a deadline or renewal. Dates tracked, clients instructed.
Deadlines live in a spreadsheet, renewal letters get copied and sent one at a time, client instructions are buried in email threads and nobody's quite sure if the associate in Munich confirmed the filing. We build deadline, renewal, instruction and portfolio systems for patent and trade mark firms that all talk to each other. Then we host them and look after them.
Looking for patent deadline tracking software that your whole firm can trust?
An IP practice runs on dates. Convention deadlines, PCT national phase entry, exam responses, acceptance deadlines, divisionals, oppositions and renewals stretching out for twenty years across a dozen countries. Most small and mid-sized firms hold it together with a master spreadsheet, Outlook reminders and a paralegal who knows where everything is. It works until that person goes on leave in the middle of renewal season.
Wollopit builds custom software for patent and trade mark attorneys around how your firm actually works. Enter a priority date and the downstream deadlines set themselves. Renewal notices go out on schedule and clients instruct online. Associates get tracked from instruction to reporting. Fees land on the right matter and flow to Xero or MYOB. We connect the tools you already like, work around your records system if it's doing its job and look after the lot on our own servers.
01The problems
What we hear from patent attorneys
Does your patent attorney firm have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most IP firms we talk to have brilliant attorneys and a deadline system held together with spreadsheets, calendar alerts and nerves. Nobody sleeps well the week before a national phase date.
- The problemDeadlines live in a spreadsheetOne master sheet, colour-coded by whoever touched it last, with formulas nobody dares edit.How we fix itEvery matter carries its own dates, worked out from priority, filing and report dates, with reminders well before each one falls due.
- The problemRules counted on a calendarSomeone counts 31 months from priority by hand and hopes they've got the right rule for that country.How we fix itDeadline rules per country and matter type. Enter a priority date and the Convention, PCT and national phase dates set themselves for an attorney to confirm.
- The problemRenewal reminders sent one by oneEach renewal letter is copied from the last one, edited, emailed and then chased when nobody answers.How we fix itRenewal notices go out on schedule with the fee, the deadline and a simple renew or let lapse button.
- The problemInstructions buried in inboxesA client replies 'go ahead' to a three-week-old thread and someone has to find it, file it and act on it.How we fix itClients instruct online against each matter. Every instruction is logged with who gave it and when.
- The problemClients ask what they actually ownA big client wants a portfolio list for their board meeting and someone loses a day building it in Excel.How we fix itA client portal showing every patent, design and trade mark with status and upcoming dates, exportable whenever they like.
- The problemForeign associates chased by emailInstructions go overseas by email and nobody's sure if they were acknowledged, filed or reported back.How we fix itAssociate tracking per matter: instructed, acknowledged, filed and reported, with chase reminders when things go quiet.
- The problemExam reports land everywhereReports come from IP Australia, overseas associates and client forwards, then sit in one attorney's inbox.How we fix itIncoming correspondence logged to the matter, response deadlines set and the right attorney and paralegal notified.
- The problemFees pieced together at month endOfficial fees, associate invoices in euros and US dollars and professional fees all chased up separately.How we fix itFees linked to each matter and action, foreign disbursements tracked and invoices pushed to Xero or MYOB.
- The problemDeadline checks done on paperThe two-person check happens on a printout. When the office gets busy it quietly stops happening.How we fix itBuilt-in second checks, a due-this-week board for every attorney and no deadline closed without a reason.
- The problemNew enquiries go coldAn inventor fills in the contact form, waits three days for a reply and ends up with another firm.How we fix itOnline intake with an invention questionnaire, conflict check prompts and a first consult booked straight away.
- The problemKnowledge walks out the doorOnly the senior paralegal knows how renewals really run. Their leave form gets everyone nervous.How we fix itYour processes written into the system as checklists, templates and workflows that don't rely on one person's memory.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for patent attorneys. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Country & matter rules
Deadline rules for Australia, PCT and the countries you file in, so key dates set themselves for checking.
Renewal & annuity manager
Patent renewals, design renewals and trade mark renewals tracked years ahead, with fee estimates and notices.
Client instruction forms
Clients renew, abandon, file or respond online. Each instruction is timestamped against the matter.
Client portfolio portal
Clients log in to see their patents, designs and trade marks, status, upcoming dates and documents.
Foreign associate tracking
Instructions, acknowledgements, filings and reports from overseas associates, with chase reminders.
Correspondence log
Exam reports, notices and letters filed to the right matter with response deadlines attached.
Fee & disbursement tracking
Official fees, associate charges in foreign currency and professional fees linked to matters and sent to Xero or MYOB.
Invention & trade mark intake
Online questionnaires for new inventions and brands, conflict check prompts and consult bookings.
Letter & report templates
Reporting letters, renewal notices and cost estimates filled from the matter details in a click.
Deadline dashboards
Due this week, overdue checks, upcoming renewals and work by attorney, on any screen.
A website that wins work
Hand-built, quick on mobile and written to rank for 'patent attorney' plus your city or speciality.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole practice, on one system.
These are the systems IP firms ask us about most. Each one works on its own and they get properly useful once they're joined up.
Matter deadlines
Enter the date once. The deadlines follow.
Every matter gets its own timeline worked out from priority, filing and report dates using rules you sign off on. Reminders go to the responsible attorney and paralegal well ahead of time. Nothing gets closed without a second check.
- Deadlines worked out from key dates
- Rules per country and matter type
- Attorney confirms every calculated date
- Reminders at intervals you set
- Two-person deadline checks
- Due-this-week board per attorney
- Firm-wide deadline calendar
- Outlook calendar sync
- Reason required to close a deadline
- Full history of every date change
Renewals & annuities
Renewal season, without the late nights.
Patent, design and trade mark renewals tracked years ahead with fee estimates attached. Notices go out on schedule and clients reply with one click. Anyone who hasn't answered gets chased automatically.
- Patent renewals from the fourth anniversary
- Design and trade mark renewals
- Fee estimates in each notice
- Renew or let lapse in one click
- Automatic follow-ups and final notices
- Grace period tracking
- Bulk notices for big portfolios
- Overseas renewals via associates
- Lapse confirmations on file
- Renewal pipeline by month
Client portal
Clients see their IP and instruct you online.
Every client gets a login showing their whole portfolio with status, upcoming dates and documents. They can instruct renewals and responses straight from the matter. Every instruction is logged with a name and timestamp.
- Patents, designs and trade marks in one list
- Status and next deadline per matter
- Documents and reports per matter
- Online instruction forms
- Timestamped instruction records
- Multiple logins per client company
- Portfolio export for board reports
- Cost estimates to approve online
- DocuSign for forms and assignments
- Secure messages to the attorney
Associates & correspondence
Overseas filings you can actually see.
Instructions to foreign associates are tracked from sent to reported, with reminders when an associate goes quiet. Incoming exam reports and notices get logged to the matter. Response deadlines and the right people are set straight away.
- Associate directory by country
- Instruction status per filing
- Acknowledgement and filing chase-ups
- Reporting letters logged to the matter
- Exam reports with response dates
- IP Australia notices filed to matters
- Email in, filed to the right matter
- Associate invoice matching
- Turnaround times by associate
- Notes and history per matter
Fees & billing
Every fee on the right matter.
Official fees, associate charges and professional fees are linked to each matter and action as they happen. Foreign currency disbursements are tracked against the associate invoice. Invoices flow into Xero or MYOB without anyone retyping them.
- Fees linked to matters and actions
- Official fee schedules kept current
- Foreign currency disbursements
- Associate invoices matched to work
- Cost estimates before work starts
- Invoices pushed to Xero or MYOB
- Online payment by card via Stripe
- Unbilled work by matter and client
- Trust and prepayment tracking
- Overdue account reminders
04How it changes
Before and after
A renewal season, wolloped.
Here's how a month of renewals could change. Every firm is different, so we map yours first.
Before
- Filter the master spreadsheet for next month's renewals
- Copy last year's letter and edit it for each client
- Email notices one by one and hope they're read
- Dig 'please renew' replies out of email threads
- Chase silent clients by phone in the last week
- Piece the fees together for invoicing at month end
After
- Next month's renewals are already on the board
- Notices go out on schedule with fees attached
- Clients renew or let lapse with one click
- Every instruction is logged against the matter
- Follow-ups and final notices send themselves
- Fees land on the matter and flow to Xero
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for patent attorneys.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for patent attorneys
Built around how your patent attorney firm actually runs: deadline docketing, country & matter rules and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for patent attorneys
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Patent attorney firm system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for patent attorneys
Renewal & annuity manager and client instruction forms: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Microsoft 365, Outlook and SharePoint so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your patent attorney firm, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We connect to the tools you rely on, work around the records system you're happy with or replace the parts holding you back.
- Microsoft 365
- Outlook
- SharePoint
- Google Workspace
- Xero
- MYOB
- DocuSign
- Stripe
- HubSpot
- Mailchimp
- Zoom
- Calendly
- IP Australia Online Services
- WIPO ePCT
- WIPO Madrid
- EPO Online Filing
- Inprotech
- Anaqua
- FoundationIP
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your patent attorney firm: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We sit with your attorneys, paralegals and accounts team to see how a matter really moves from enquiry to renewal.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your matter types, deadline rules, renewals, associates, fees, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering, shown to you early and often. Usually deadlines or renewals first, so you get a win before the next busy month.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it. When something needs changing you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things patent attorneys ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Can it work out our deadlines for us?
Yes. We set up the deadline rules with you for Australia, PCT and the countries you file in. Enter the key dates and the deadlines set themselves. Your attorneys still confirm them, because a person should always sign off a date.
Can clients see their whole portfolio?
Yes. Clients can log in to see their patents, designs and trade marks with status, upcoming dates and documents. They can export it for their own reporting too.
Can clients instruct renewals online?
Yes. Renewal notices carry a renew or let lapse option. Every instruction is recorded with the person's name and the time, so there's no digging through email.
We already use a records system. Do we have to switch?
No. If Inprotech, FoundationIP or your current setup is doing its job, we build around it with the portal, renewal notices, associate tracking or billing links on top. If it's holding you back, we'll show you what replacing it involves before anything changes.
How do you keep client information confidential?
Each person gets their own login with access set by role. Clients only see their own matters and there's a record of who viewed or changed what. We host and maintain it on our own managed servers.
Does it connect to our accounting software?
Yes. Fees and disbursements can flow into Xero or MYOB as invoices so your accounts team stops retyping them.
How much does a system like this cost?
It depends on what you need, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build.
How long does it take?
Smaller jobs like renewal notices or an instruction form can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early instead of waiting for everything at once.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most patent attorneys we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got a patent attorney firm problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.